Ex-cop guilty in extortion attempt

He got $1,800 in deal to release impounded truck

A former Chicago police officer pleaded guilty to attempted extortion Monday for demanding a payoff to return an impounded vehicle to a citizen.

The unidentified citizen had gone to authorities and agreed to secretly tape-record his conversations with the officer, Willie C. Caldwell III.

Caldwell, 36, admitted Monday in U.S. District Court that he pocketed $1,800 in cash from the extortion victim last August. He was charged the next day with the felony.

"This was a complete aberration," Caldwell's lawyer, Jonathan Minkus, said of the four-year veteran. "But he had a terrible lapse in judgment, and today he faced the consequences for that."

Court records indicated that Caldwell told investigators he had extorted the victim because he needed money.

Caldwell took a leave of absence from the Chicago Police Department in October, but he is ineligible to return to the force as a convicted felon, Pat Camden, a department spokesman said.

Caldwell faces a sentence ranging from probation up to 6 months in prison, Assistant U.S. Atty. Manish Shah said. U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve set sentencing for April 8.

Caldwell, who was assigned to the Wentworth District, and other officers had the citizen's 2003 truck impounded July 29 on suspicion it had been stolen, court records show. That proved to be in error, authorities said.

In a series of telephone calls over the next several days, Caldwell told the owner the truck would be returned to him if he paid the officer $2,000.

The victim complained to the Police Department, and the FBI was notified, Camden said.

The department's Internal Affairs Division helped the FBI in the investigation, Camden said.

The extortion victim agreed to cooperate and wore a hidden recorder to tape conversations with Caldwell, authorities said.

On Aug. 4, the victim handed over $1,800 cash to Caldwell inside Caldwell's vehicle in a parking lot in Chicago, authorities said.

Less than two hours later, Caldwell telephoned the truck owner, saying he wanted to return the money because he was "concerned he was being set up," charges alleged.

The two agreed to meet again that same day, and Caldwell was arrested when he showed up for the meeting, authorities said. The $1,800 was recovered from an armrest in Caldwell's vehicle, authorities said.

Caldwell told investigators that after receiving the money, he learned that the owner's truck was no longer impounded, leading him to think there might be an investigation ongoing.